Many foreigners will be banned from buying homes in New Zealand from Monday (22 October), unless they are newly built apartments, as the Labour-led government fulfils an election promise that critics say could be a popular but won't solve the lack of affordable housing. Real estate data showed foreign buyers, particularly from China, rushing to buy property before the ban comes into effect. Chinese buyer inquiries for houses in New Zealand rose by 59 percent in the third quarter, according to Chinese real estate portal Juwai.com. "The data clearly shows buyers from China have been anxious to complete their transactions in advance of the rules," said Carrie Law, CEO and Director of Juwai.com, reports Reuters (21 October 2018).